Heuristic's (Completed and Reviewed!!) 4 and 5 Star BL Manga PART I

Ignore the misleading melodramatic cover: this is a comedy about a (comparatively) ordinary person interacting with the embodiment of unselfconscious romantic excess. It's hilarious, but even so the slightly more serious dramatic moments snuck up on me and were effective for what they were. But I cannot recommend this as anything more than the rare BL focuses on laughs. Recommended as a story that prioritizes humor over feeling, but is just grounded enough to be deliciously readable.

A sedate and (comparatively) realistic look at what a long-standing relationship looks like as lovers get on in years (not that early 30s is that old :p). A refreshing look at a mundane relationship that isn't unromantic, exactly, but includes things that a lot of other BL tends to gloss over (impotence, mundane insecurity, &c.). Recommended as a sweet slice of life that eschews drama and showcases aspects of the everyday parts of living together that aren't often highlighted in BL.

A romance that eschews typical BL drama & tropes to tell an ordinary story that feels warm and genuine - & handles a bisexual character well. Drama stems from things that are psychologically plausible for the characters: one a sexually inexperienced university student who feels out place in the father-son unit, the other a widower who has decided to forego his own desires to be a good father. Recommended if you want grounded fluff: a feel-good story that isn't total BL nonsense.

Two mature slice-of-life stories featuring believably mundane characters dealing with realistic misunderstandings and mismatched expectations. As a whole, this is a refreshingly low-key and grounded story that is recommended if you want something mature and laid-back that deals with issues ranging from unresolved problems with intimacy to fearing nostalgic for the past may eclipse who one is in the present. The writing is really solid throughout.

The emotional momentum of this story is propelled by how the main character changes how he relates to the world, how he thinks about love, how he thinks about fate, and what he is willing to live and die for. At bottom, this is a tightly constructed and rather beautiful love story. I must admit that I am weak to time loop stories, but nevertheless I think anyone would like this if they are looking for something simultaneously heart wrenching and heart warming, with a well-earned resolution.

This manga is incredibly well done. It explores the effects of internalized homophobia; it isn't about rekindling the glow of a first love so much as revisiting it together with all the hurt that has been caused in the past. While it does have a hopeful/happy ending, it's a story that delves deep into realism in its exploration of dealing with the past and the lingering pain that remains.

A charming story, featuring a refreshingly odd character. Since he genuinely does not understand social cues, I did not find his rudeness offputting and thought the manga dealt well with him: he is neither completely forgiven for his social transgressions nor is he expected to completely change his personality. Recommended if you want a romance between someone who is, at the very least, a truly odd dude (probably neuroatypical) and a well intentioned mother hen.

Its strengths are the art, particularly the way the panels really draw the reader into the emotional states of our two main characters; the pacing, which is fairly tight throughout; and the occasional deviation from BL cliche - particularly the main character, a rare uke who is the pursuer rather than the pursued. Resolution is a little too quick, but recommend as a story that remains within the comfort zone of the genrebut has a nice buildup and a sweet relationship at its core.

Interconnected shorts about politicians & their lovers illustrated in a distinctive, expressive style. The stories remain politically & ethically agnostic, even as many of the characters are morally compromised hypocrites. Not your typical genre fare and will be offputting to some, but if you're looking for refreshingly mature, understated BL that refrains from moralizing give this a shot.

In spite of the hackneyed premise, the way the characters interact was compelling. Their long history as ostensibly platonic friends was plausible; their conflicted feelings & choices feel earned and surprisingly real. Objectively, this is far from the mangaka's best work, but I still give it four stars for being unexpectedly moving and well worth the read if you're in the mood for writing that is too good for the plot that contains it.